Miss Vega Goes to Seattle
by writerchic16
Summary: Determined Trina uses Tori and Carly's new friendship to arrange a guest appearance for herself on iCarly. Her sister, Andre and Jade go to Seattle with her. Some Tandre and Seddie.
1. Prologue

**Ms. Vega Goes to Seattle**

Summary: Determined Trina uses Tori and Carly's new friendship to arrange a guest appearance for herself on iCarly. Her sister, Andre and Jade go to Seattle with her.

A/N: I got the idea for this right after iParty with Victorious (clearly), but kept putting it off since I had other writing other projects. The idea wouldn't leave me alone, so here we are. It takes place shortly after the special and before iOMG. I do _not_ want to mess with post-iOMG Seddie. Since it's not exactly official how far apart these episodes occur, I'm taking some creative license here and saying iOMG happens over a month after the crossover.

If you like this story (or just want to be nice) please follow me on Twitter, I'm writerchic16 there too!

* * *

><p>"<em>Tori Vega<em>! Don't you hide from me!"

Hearing her sister's angry shout, Tori yelped and ducked under the cafeteria table. "Hide me!" she whispered to her friends. "I've been avoiding her since she found out I was on iCarly." Though the video was posted during their epic party at Kenan Thompson's house, Trina hadn't seen it until late the next day, after she finished up some homework.

Andre, Jade, Cat and Beck barely looked up from their lunches. At this point they were used to Trina Vega's irrational fury.

Before Tori needed to stretch her couched legs, Trina rushed over to the table. dramatically glaring at each of its occupants. "Where is she?" the diva seethed. "Don't protect her! I know you know where she is right now!"

Cat stared at her, confused. "Who?"

"_Tori_!" Trina shrieked.

"Oh, she's under the table," Cat replied without hesitation. When the others rolled their eyes at her, she nervously giggled and took a sip of her soda.

Meanwhile, Tori had been trying to crawl out the opposite side of the table from where her sister was standing, but Trina ran around and cut her off. Caught, Tori slowly got to her feet, trying to at least act like she wasn't scared. "Hi Trina." There was an awkward silence, then, "So...what's up?"

"_How could you be on iCarly without me_?" Trina demanded. If they weren't watching already, _that_ got everyone in the cafeteria to pay attention to the argument. "You didn't think to invite _your only sister_?"

"Oh look, someone's mad at Tori." Amused by the confrontation, Jade grinned. "This should be fun."

Aware that they had an audience, Tori put on a brave face so she didn't _appear_ intimidated. "It was all spur of the moment! Carly and I talked, then we figured out how to bust Steven! It wasn't even that big of a deal!"

Her words had no effect on crazed Trina. "_Not a big deal_? You got to random dance with Carly and Sam of iCarly!"

"Technically it was random humiliation with a little dancing..."

"Plus you got to hang out with _Kenan Thompson_ in a closet!"

Her face red, Tori turned to the other students. "That's not what it sounds like." She paused. "Wait, you all probably saw the video, I'm good." That said, she turned back to her sister. "Look, I'm sorry I didn't think to include you in our plan. But what do you want me to do about it now?"

Unfortunately for Tori, Trina had expected that question. "Call up your new best bud Carly and ask her to let me on her show! You owe me!"

"I do not!" Tori retorted, getting angry herself at her sister's outrageous behavior. "Again, I am sorry you missed everything, but I am _not_ asking Carly for a favor like that! I just met her! And I don't want her to hate me after you sing on her show!"

Though insulted, Trina calmly explained, "It's true, I _would_ like to sing on her show. But I think sketch comedy is the perfect way to show off my acting skills. I would be such a fantastic guest in one of their 'Pathetic Plays.'"

Tori smirked. "Yup, that _would_ be fitting."

"Cheap shot," Jade remarked.

"Oh, you thought it too," Tori retorted. "Look, Trina, _I'm not asking Carly for a favor_! She already helped me out a lot by telling me about Steven. I mean, maybe if we do become good friends I'll mention it, but not yet."

Childishly stomping her foot, Trina spat, "You're such a meanie!" She then stomped away, and everyone who'd been watching resumed eating their lunch.

Tori fell back onto her seat, very relieved that the confrontation was over. "Thanks a lot, Cat," she muttered, annoyed that the airhead had given Trina her location.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cat exclaimed.

"That was rough, Tori," Andre said, concerned. "You okay?"

Tori shrugged. "Yeah, Trina's...Trina. She'll 'forgive me' within the week I'm sure. I'm just annoyed that she yelled at me in front of the whole cafeteria."

"Huh, that's fascinating," Jade said sarcastically. When Tori raised an eyebrow, she exclaimed, "Can we talk about something _besides_ your little non-problems for once?"

Before Tori could get really offended, Beck explained, "Jade's in even more of a bad mood than usual because I'm going to Canada for my cousin's sweet sixteen. It's in a few weeks, but I told her the news an hour ago."

"Cool, sounds like fun!" Tori said. Cat and Andre reacted similarly.

This seemed to only make Jade more grumpy, but instead of snapping at them, she turned to her boyfriend. "You _could _skip the party. A sixteenth birthday isn't even important! It's not eighteen or twenty-one or..."

Beck gave her a reassuring kiss on her cheek. "Relax, will you? My cousin just wants to show me off to her friends. I'll make sure all those girls know that I'm taken."

"Whatever," Jade grumbled.

"Well, it's not for a while but have a good time, man. Can't wait to hear all about it..." Andre trailed off when Jade glared at him. "Uh, so...Tori, do you think you'll keep in touch with Carly? To be honest, I wouldn't mind being on the show too. They get like a million hits per episode."

Tori shrugged. "I don't know, maybe. I guess I could email her this week." At his hopeful expression, she quickly added, "But _just_ to say hi."

* * *

><p>That night, Tori had to search for her laptop, which was usually right where she left it. She'd emailed Carly a few hours ago, but needed it again when Andre called and told her download a worksheet their teacher had sent to the class. Finally she found it on the dining area table. This was very mysterious because she distinctly remembered that she'd put it away in her room.<p>

"Weird," she said, but shrugged it off as she took her laptop over to the living room, then sat on the couch. Her parents had gone out to run some errands, and she assumed Trina was in her room, so Tori had peace and quiet while she logged into her email. Since she didn't need more than one address, she used the Hollywood Arts account for both personal and school purposes. Opening her Pear Tunes, she played some music as she downloaded the PDF file.

Sitting there staring at her inbox, Tori became self-conscious about what she wrote to Carly, worried that it didn't sound cool and casual enough. To reassure herself by reading over the email, she opened her sent messages.

Then Tori saw a message she _definitely_ didn't send.

"What the...?" Wondering if her account had been hacked, she clicked on the email. Everything made sense once she read it.

_Hey Carly,_

_By the way, I meant to add in my last email that my sister Trina is like, this _incredible _singer/actress and would love to be on your show! I do feel kind of bad about leaving her out of the scene we did, especially when I knew she's a major iCarly fan, so I figured I'd at least ask for this _small _favor. Please? I promise, she's _really_ talented._

_-Tori_

Too shocked to react at first, Tori stared for a long moment, figuring out what to do next. Should she email Carly _again_ ASAP for damage control? Or would she look weird no matter what she said because she emailed three times in the same day? Should she wait until Carly replied? But what if they set up a whole show with Trina as a guest, then Tori had to break the news about her sister's severely lacking talent? Or should she actually _call_ Carly's cell phone to explain the situation? They did exchange both email addresses _and_ cell phone numbers after the party...

Her sister walking in the front door distracted Tori from her thoughts. Suddenly, deciding what to do about Carly could wait.

She had to kill Trina first.

"Trina!" Tori shouted angrily, turning off the music and leaping to her feet. "_How could you_?"

Frozen in the doorway, dry cleaning in her hand, Trina carefully replied, "How could I _what_?"

"_Hack my email account_!" Tori yelled. "I can't believe you did that! Okay, yes, I know how desperate you are to be famous, but _I can't believe you did that_!"

Trina stayed calm despite her sister screaming in her face. "I didn't _hack_ your email. You really shouldn't save your passwords."

"It's _my_ laptop! I have every right to save my passwords!" Tori shrieked. "On the other hand, _you_ have _no_ right whatsoever to steal my identity and put words in my mouth that I would never, ever say!"

Still not bothered by her sister's outrage, going around her and putting the dry cleaning over a kitchen chair. "I had to do something! Who knew if you would even keep in touch with iCarly? I needed to get their attention while you were still a valuable contact."

"You could have, I don't know, _emailed them as yourself_? You didn't have to pretend to be me! You could've just said you were a fan and asked if they remembered you from the party! We did chat with them for a while after karaoke."

"Nah." When Tori indicated for her to continue, Trina explained, "It's strange really. _I_ know I'm wonderful, but for some odd reason I don't make a great first impression."

Stubbornly holding on to her anger, Tori accused, "Well, whatever your reasons, what you did was still _wrong_. I want an apology!"

"Fine, I'm _sorry_!" Trina replied condescendingly, as if Tori was completely overreacting. "Just let me know when Carly replies, okay?"

Forced to make a decision, Tori went back to thinking about what she should do. Her best bet probably _would_ be to wait for Carly's response. Maybe she'd even say no on her own for whatever reason. Plus they would have to run their trip by their parents, who might object as well, especially if airfare and hotel costs turn out to be too expensive. "Fine," Tori spat. "We'll see what Carly says."

"Okay. Oh! Mom and Dad stopped by, they just remembered another errand and will be back in a half hour," Trina said, totally dismissing their fight.

Curious about the full clothes hanger, which Trina had picked up again, Tori asked, "What did you need dry-cleaned?"

"After last period yesterday, Sikowitz forgot to take home his nasty old sweatshirt, so I had it cleaned. Hopefully now at least it doesn't smell like...well, I'm not sure what exactly, but it always reeked."

"Why did you do that? Failing his class this semester?"

"Of course not! Didn't you hear me? It _reeked_."

Tori laughed, then finally returned to her worksheet as her sister went upstairs.

* * *

><p>Vertically across the country in Seattle, Carly Shay was also trying to understand her sibling's unusual thought processes. Spencer had brought in several new wooden pieces of furniture, then told his little sister and her friends to gather around. "What's going on?" Carly finally asked, pointing to the plain, dark-wood desk that didn't go with <em>anything<em> in their loft.

"There was this class on antiquing at the community center," Spencer explained happily. "You take something new and make it look ancient! It's almost art! After I'm done with all these pieces I'm going to sell them online."

"Wow, that actually sounds cool. How do you 'antique'?" Freddie asked.

Much to their surprise, Spencer picked up a hammer that had been on the couch. "You get to hit it! Of course there's other stuff that you need to do, but basically you just..." To demonstrate, he whacked the side of the desk, making the others wince. "This makes the furniture look like it's been damaged from years of use. But I just think it's fun."

"Of course it's fun! Let mama try." Sam took the hammer from Spencer and slammed it on top of the desk. The edge turned out severely dented, and a drawer opened from the sheer force. While Sam stood there, enjoying the moment, the others slowly backed away.

An awkward few seconds passed by, then Spencer _slowly_ reached over and took the hammer back. "So yeah, um, before was just for demonstration, I have to sand it first. But, uh, thanks Sam."

Sam grinned. "No problem."

"So yeah, let's get back to the website," Carly said. Before the interruption, the iCarly trio had been browsing their website, looking at fan feedback and based on that, planning which they should do next. But when they stood around the computer, Carly was distracted by a blinking mail icon. "Oh, that's my personal account. Hold on a sec." Not caring if her friends saw the email, she opened her inbox to find not one, but _two_ new messages from the same, unexpected person.

"They're both from 'torivega at HollywoodArts dot com.'" Freddie paused, surprised but not unpleasantly so. "Oh, it's Tori! Tell her I said hi! She's single now, right?"

Carly and Sam glared in annoyance, then ignored him as Carly read the first email aloud. "Just wanted to check in. How was your flight back? Hanging out with you, Sam and Freddie at the party was awesome, and I still can't believe I got to be on your show!"

At his name, Freddie melted instantly, a goofy grin on his face. "She mentioned me!"

"Shut it, ya nub! She lives all the way in Hollywood, get over it!" Sam snapped. When the other two each raised an eyebrow, she quietly said, "Carly was reading."

Shaking her head, Carly went back to the email. "My sister is so jealous, by the way! And I was thinking that you all should sing in a video, people would go crazy over it! You sounded great at karaoke, and it's awesome that someone recorded it so you could put it on the site. Anyway, keep in touch! Oh, and thanks again for telling me about Steven. What a skunk bag!'" Carly laughed. "She's right, he _was_ a skunk bag."

"You know, it's weird," Sam remarked. "She and her friends are all creative, artsy kids. You'd think she'd have asked if one of her friends could be on the show."

"Maybe she didn't want to ask because she's not _rude_. Like _some_ _people_." Freddie then glared at Sam, who again ignored him.

Carly shrugged. "Plus, they're in Hollywood, how would they even get here? I guess we could've played a video of someone singing or acting." Remembering the second email, Carly clicked it open. "I wonder what this is. Tori's first emailed seemed pretty...complete." No one had any ideas, so she read that email aloud as well.

"And there it is," Sam said, groaning. "Looks like she forgot to be _rude_ in the first email, so she had to send another one."

"Come on, she asked nicely!" Freddie argued, quickly changing his tune. "Her sister probably _is_ really talented if she goes to Hollywood Arts! And we could have Tori on the show too, we know first-hand that _she's_ an amazing singer."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Oh please, you just want Tori to come here because you think you actually have a chance of dating her."

"That's not what it is, Sam! I'm only saying this because having guests on the show is always good for iCarly!" Freddie argued.

Thinking about it, Carly sort of agreed that the suggestion wasn't _bad_. Lots of kids want to be famous, so they would be interested in sisters who attend a school for future actors and singers. Even if Tori or Trina didn't turn out to be the _most_ talented, they'd be able to tell viewers about their experiences, and share some of their best advice. "Wait, this could be good," she interrupted. "If Tori and Trina can somehow get here, we could interview them! Tori can sing, then maybe we could all play some kind of acting-related game. "

"You mean like improv?" Freddie asked.

"Yes, exactly!" Carly agreed. "Those are the games on _Whose Line Is It _Anyway?, right?" At their blank stares, she explained, "The old sketch comedy show we sometimes watch on ABC Family at midnight because it came on after a movie once." Her friends nodded in recognition. "So I'll email Tori back, see if she agrees, then we'll plan the show more. Hopefully they'll be able to make the trip."

Sam shrugged. "Could be fun, I guess." Tense from her fight with Freddie, she went back over to where Spencer was sanding the piece of furniture. "Hey, where's the hammer?"

"Uh, Sam, I don't..."

"_Hammer_!"

"Fine. At least hit randomly. It's not supposed to look like a pattern." Spencer handed over the hammer, then rushed away as Sam began to enthusiastically injure the poor desk.

* * *

><p>At lunch later that week, Tori explained the situation to her intrigued friends. Her audience consisted of Andre, Cat, Robbie and Jade since Beck was auditioning for a school play, like Robbie had been several days earlier. "So, after talking with Carly on the phone and working out the details first, we presented it all to our mom and dad. They agreed to pay for plane tickets and hotel costs, but it'll be both our birthday presents this year. We wanted to go this, weekend but plane tickets were too expensive, so the trip will be in three weeks.."<p>

"Okay, so did you tell Carly and Sam about me?" Andre asked eagerly. "Can I be on the show too? My parents said they'd pay for the trip when I told them how much it would help my career."

Tori nodded. "Yup! They love having musical guests." A little reluctantly, she glanced at the others. "So, uh, any of you want to come with?"

"I do!" Cat exclaimed, but then she frowned. "I can't though, my parents spent all their extra money on surgery for my brother's dog."

There was an awkward pause following that, so Robbie said, "Yeah, I can't go either. My parents are afraid of what might happen if I'm left alone in a social setting for an extended period of time. And Rex doesn't like to fly."

"I'll go."

Surprised, they all turned to Jade. "You? Want to go on a trip with _us_?" Tori asked in disbelief.

"Don't flatter yourself," Jade snapped. "Beck will be in Canada for the stupid sweet sixteen that weekend. He stays with his family close to Washington state, so we'll be able to meet up."

Trying to make sense of that, Tori asked, "Wait, why couldn't you just go on your own? Or with Beck?"

Jade rolled her eyes. "_Obviously_ my dad wouldn't be okay with me using his money to go meet up with my boyfriend for a romantic weekend. _Obviously_." To answer the second question, she grumbled, "And Beck's family hates me."

"_Maybe_ because you're flying up to hang out with Beck when he's _supposed_ to be spending time with his family," Tori retorted. At Jade's death glare, she smirked. "That's right, I'm taking their side. Hah!"

Before the argument continued, Andre interrupted, "Wow, I can't wait to sing on iCarly! That show is a powerhouse, man. If Carly and Sam like your music, you're an instant Internet sensation. Crazy."

"Yeah, I told them about we all sing and act, so they were saying that they want to do a variety show," Tori said. "We'll alternate between singing and playing improv games. They're calling it their 'Hollywood Arts Spectacular.'"

Jade scoffed. "Well, count me out. I'd rather not owe my fame to some kids' web show."

"Fine, you think that. Andre and I will be random dancing with Carly and Sam if you change your mind," Tori retorted.

Oblivious to the conversation, Cat stared down at her macaroni and cheese. "Hey, what's in macaroni?" she asked, picking up a piece with her fork. When the others stared at her, she explained, "Oh, not the cheese. I mean like, what _is_ macaroni? Is it a vegetable?"

"Uh, macaroni is not a vegetable. It's made with flour and water," Tori informed her.

Cat frowned, apparently disappointed by the information. "Oh." She put down her fork, then stood up from the table. "I'm gonna go buy a vegetable." Totally bewildered, her friends watched as she went over to the food truck and ordered a side of fries.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_Three Weeks Later_

After weeks of planning, Tori and her friends finally arrived at their hotel room, exhausted from a day of traveling. Because they'd gotten a deal on the tickets, Tori and Trina's parents agreed to pay for nicer accommodations, rather than a motel or an inn like the teens had been checking out online. Plus the cost would be split three ways thanks to Jade, who reluctantly agreed to take the fold-out couch since her roommates would be covering the majority of the bill. Of course Andre couldn't bunk with the girls, so he got a room just across the hall.

"I love this hotel!" Tori exclaimed, walking into an upscale room with two full-size beds and a large flat-screen television. "It's so...'vacation with your parents', you know? Like how family trips are never really fun but the hotel and restaurants are always really nice."

Annoyed Jade threw her bag onto the small couch. "I'm leaving."

Tori blocked her path to the door. "Why? Your negative outlook can't handle my happiness?"

"Not everything's about you, ya bursting ray of sunshine," Jade snapped. "If you're just dying to know, I'm supposed to meet Beck at the Space Needle in an hour. We're going to do all the touristy stuff so I can point out how lame it is."

Knowing that she wouldn't be able to talk Jade out of it, Tori stepped to the side. "Have fun. Tell Beck I said hi."

"I won't." Jade then went into the hallway and walked back towards the elevators.

Tori sighed. True, Jade wasn't exactly a good friend...barely a friend, actually...but Tori thought she'd spend at least one day with the group. Now Tori would have to call Carly and tell her there'd be one less person for dinner at the Shay's loft that night. To start the weekend off, Carly had invited their guests over for dinner with her friends and her brother, who was making "spaghetti tacos." The dish sounded strange, but Tori had to admit she wasn't opposed to two of her favorite foods in one meal.

Her peace and quiet was ruined when Trina entered the room, dragging her suitcase behind her. "I _hate_ this hotel," she grumbled. "No spa, no indoor pool, not even a little boutique where I can spend a ridiculous amount of money on stuff I'll never use." She glanced at the cabinet beneath the television. "There isn't even a mini-fridge! What kind of place is this?"

"One _we_ didn't have to pay for," Tori reminded her. "By the way, Jade left already."

Trina nodded. "Yeah, saw her in the hall. Good, I can't her constant negativity for too long. That's why I slept on the plane."

"I noticed." Unfortunately, Tori had been kept awake by her sister's constant snoring. Between that and Jade whining about how bad the inflight-movie was, she'd had to turn her PearPod full blast to drown them out. Tori would have tried to distract herself by talking to Andre, but he'd spent the whole plane ride working on a song. Well, trying to anyway. He'd seemed to have a bad case of writer's block.

Looking over her shoulder, Trina asked, "So what's going on? We're meeting up with Carly and Sam now, right?"

"They're not out of school yet," Tori reminded her. To make the most of the weekend, all of their parents agreed that the four teens could skip school that day to catch an earlier flight. "We've got at least an hour, probably more like two by the time they get here. They're picking us up because they didn't want us get lost trying to find Bushwell Plaza. That's Carly and Freddie's apartment complex."

Clearly disappointed, Trina checked her watch. "Well, at least I have time for a quick shower. Planes are always _so_ gross."

"But I..." Tori protested, since she'd been having the same thoughts. But to be fair, Trina did call it first. "Fine, I'll use Andre's bathroom I guess. I doubt he'll need it, he seemed pretty obsessed with a song he's working on."

Within ten minutes, Tori had gotten a new outfit out of her suitcase, walked down the hall to Andre's room, and knocked. "Andre? Can I use your bathroom? Trina's already in ours." Okay, yes, it was slightly embarrassing to be asking a guy if she could use his bathroom to take a shower, but Andre was her best friend, so she didn't care _quite_ as much.

Andre opened the door, notebook and pen in his other hand. "Sure, go ahead." He glanced at her spare clothes. "You're taking a shower?"

"Yeah. Don't you know about plane cooties?" Tori teased while she went into the room. "So what's with the pen and paper? You're _still_ trying to get over your writer's block?"

Frowning, Andre glanced down at the notebook's blank page. "Um, yeah. It's bugging me too. I _really_ need a new song before we're on iCarly."

"Are you sure this _has_ to be a new song? Can't you just sing 'Song 2 You'?' Tori asked, worried about her friend. He'd impressed music producers with that song before, but they were still considering other Internet sensations for a record contract. Much like a reality show, Andre unfortunately found himself directly competing with nine other singers, and only one would get the prize.

Andre shook his head. "Nah, they already saw me perform that at school. I need something _different_, something that will make me stand out."

"Okay, well, how about 'Tell Me That You Love Me'? Or 'Make It Shine'? You could remix them, fit them to your voice," Tori suggested.

"I already remixed them for my demo," Andre told her sadly. "But I may have to sing one of the three on iCarly anyway if I can't write a new song by _tomorrow_. Sure, Carly and Sam might like me, and I might get thousands of hits on the video. But some of the other singers already _have_ that many views, even without iCarly's stamp of approval."

Very concerned that her friend might miss his current, certainly not his last, shot at the big time, Tori tried to think of promotional ideas. "Well, why don't you ask Freddie?" she said. "He's the show's technical producer, right? He _has_ to know some way you can make your next video unique."

"Yeah, that's true. But I'm still going to work on this song. I can't believe I haven't been able to think of _anything_ in three weeks," Andre grumbled.

"Oh, don't worry, every great writer has a creative block every now and then. You'll get a burst of inspiration soon, I'm sure." At Andre's doubtful look, she smiled back, and he hesitantly began to write.

* * *

><p>After their last class of the day, Carly and Sam got the books they would need out of their lockers while they waited for Freddie. He had to stop at his locker too, so they wouldn't be waiting long. "I can't wait to hang out with Tori and Andre this weekend. They seemed cool at the party." After karaoke, both sets of friends had talked and danced for hours, though some new friends clicked better than others.<p>

"Yeah, but that Jade chick had an attitude problem." When Carly raised an eyebrow, Sam rolled her eyes and explained, "_I_ have anger management issues. There's a difference. At least, that's what my therapist says." True, Sam _and_ Carly had avoided temperamental Jade, who pretty much stayed off to the side with Beck most of the night. They'd chatted with Tori and Andre the most, which was why Tori and Carly had exchanged contact information. Trina had seemed more normal than _very _strange Cat and Robbie, but she kept begging them to put her on the show, which got annoying after the first ten seconds. Ironically, she'd gotten what she wanted anyway.

"Well, you don't have to worry now," Carly assured her. "Tori texted me during class that Jade is hanging out with her boyfriend all weekend. She's not even having dinner with us tonight."

Relieved to hear that, Sam moved on to her next concern. "Okay, then what do we do if Trina can't carry a tune, like Tori said on the phone?"

"Then we'll fix her voice on the computer. We've done it before. Besides, Tori and I are hoping that Trina won't think to ask since we've already planned skits for her," Carly explained. Oddly enough, Carly wasn't nervous at all about their big special episode. When they'd advertised it at the end of their show last week, viewers' comments had been mostly positive, saying they were impressed that iCarly would actually be acting without a script. That in mind, Carly was happy to realize that viewers already had low expectations, and any mishaps would be attributed to the improvised material rather than the actors' failures.

After Freddie arrived, the trio left to meet Spencer in the parking lot. He dropped Sam and Freddie off at Bushwell Plaza first so there would be room in the car, then with Carly in the front seat, they picked up Tori, Andre and Trina at the hotel. The group talked amicably the whole ride there about what had been going on in their lives since they last met, and how excited they were to be doing the show.

An hour later they were all seated around the Shay's dining area table, eating spaghetti tacos while finalizing the taping schedule for the next day. Carly and Tori sat at the ends, with Carly facing the door. Both had a notepad and pen on the table next to them for notes. Freddie and Sam sat on either side of Carly, while Andre and Trina sat on either side of Tori. Spencer had quickly finished off a few tacos and went out to get some supplies for his latest antiquing project.

While there was momentary silence as the others ate, Trina warily eyed her second taco. "I don't get how you people can eat so many tacos. They're carbs on top of carbs!"

"That's the beauty of it, duh," Sam informed her.

Wrinkling her nose, Trina still asked, "Is there salad?"

"Oh, uh, sorry about that, there isn't any. But you can make yourself some," Carly offered, pointing back at the fridge.

Tori glared at her sister, worried about appearing rude. "Oh come on Trina, they were nice enough to make these for us. You can indulge this one time. I mean, they're _so_ delicious."

"Yeah, I guess..." Trina flinched as Tori kicked her under the table. Getting the hint, she first took out some of the spaghetti, then reluctantly continued eating.

"Okay, back to the show," Andre began. "Now I'm definitely singing, and I'm cool with playing improv games like ABC and Questions. But I'm not acting in those Pathetic Plays you guys do, especially without a script. No offense to you guys, as they really are awesomely hilarious, but I looked like a fool on the Internet once. It's not happening again."

"Hey, no problem. You can always co-host with me," Freddie offered. Since Carly and Sam would be playing the games too, Freddie agreed to take over hosting in between games.

That established, they went planned some more as they finished dinner and cleared the table. The guests had already been given a tour of the iCarly set, but the group still went upstairs to practice their improv skills for a while. By around nine, Tori, Trina and Andre were tired from a day of traveling, and stuffing themselves with spaghetti tacos, so Spencer agreed to drive them back to the hotel. Since everyone was having fun, Tori spontaneously invited Carly and Sam to sleep over at the hotel both for more practice and the usual sleepover movies and snacks, which all agreed sounded like a good idea. Though he wanted to work on his song, Andre was talked into a guys' sleepover night of movies and video games at the loft.

On their way out the door, Tori remembered that Jade would most likely be back at the room, and probably wouldn't appreciate the intrusion. "Hey Trina, should I call Jade to warn her?"

"Why?"

"Because..." Tori paused, thinking about that for a second. Carly and Sam would be sleeping over no matter what, plus inconsiderate Jade had bailed on dinner for no other reason than to spend a few more hours with her boyfriend. "Never mind."

* * *

><p>Almost immediately after arriving back at the hotel, the four girls dropped the idea of improv practice altogether and rented a movie from the hotel's selection. They ordered up popcorn and other snacks from room service, settled onto the beds, then alternated between talking and watching the romantic comedy they'd all seen a dozen times before.<p>

When they'd finished laughing at a story Tori was telling about her crazy teacher, Carly asked, "Okay Tori, seriously. What's with you and Andre?"

"Yeah, does he _love_ you?" Sam teased.

Feeling blindsided, Tori stared at them, suspecting they were trying to play a joke on her. "_What_?"

"Oh come on, the guy's obviously crazy about you," Trina added. Tori gave her a betrayed look, so she explained, "Okay, I was going to bring it up eventually, but seriously Tori. I remember walking in on you guys when he was singing you some love song."

"That was _Song 2 You_! He just wrote it and wanted me to hear it!" Tori insisted defensively.

"Yeah. He just wrote a _love song_," Carly said, chuckling. "And wanted _you_ to hear it."

Sam grinned. "Yeah, sounds totally platonic to me."

Upset over the accusations, Tori insisted, "It's _not_ like that. _I_ know that Andre and I are just best friends. I don't have to convince you people." She then turned to Sam. "Speaking of, what's with you and _Freddie_?"

Suddenly, Sam and Carly became very quiet. "What makes you say that?" Sam finally asked. "He's always had a crush on _Carly_."

"Yeah, but I think he's over that. Now we're all _just_ friends," Carly added.

Tori shook her head. "No way, really? Sam, you and Freddie...when you argue it's like you're an old married couple, not like you actually hate each other." At Sam's glare, she sighed. "I'm sorry, okay? I noticed it today and thought maybe there was history. Plus iCarly fans who post on the website are always talking about 'Seddie'...I didn't realize it was a sensitive subject."

More quiet, then Sam sheepishly reassured her, "Nah, we're good. I was just shocked that someone who's _not_ an obsessed iCarly fan would think that. It's never happened before."

"Wow, really? Guess I'm weird then," Tori replied, bewildered.

"Yeah, I don't know what _you're_ talking about," Trina said. "Sam and Freddie fight _way_ too much to be a couple. You can even see it on the show, and he's not even on-camera most of the time!"

Though she didn't seem convinced to Tori, Sam weakly nodded in agreement. "Yeah. What she said."

They went back to watching the movie, but before long, Jade walked in, soaked from a rainstorm and clearly miserable. She glared at Sam and Carly. "Get out," she ordered, jerking her thumb back towards the door.

"No," Sam spat, very annoyed. Meanwhile, Carly looked slightly intimidated. "We're sleeping in here tonight. Tori invited us."

Jade then directed her fury at innocent Tori. "Where's Andre?"

"At the Shay's loft for the night."

"What's their phone number? I want his room if he's not using it."

Without another thought, Tori got the key out of her purse and handed it over. "Here you go. He gave me the extra key card in case Carly or Sam wanted a bed instead of their sleeping...bags..."

Ignoring her, Jade silently picked up her suitcase and left, closing the door behind her.

Carly and Sam gave their friends completely bewildered glances. Unable to think of an excuse for her roommate's behavior, Tori could only shake her head. "I'm gonna just apologize for Jade now, because she won't, so...yeah, sorry."

"What happened to her? Did you get a text or something from her at all today?" Carly asked.

Tori shrugged. "Nope. Guess she'll have to tell us in the morning. Or not. Could go either way."

"Okay then," Trina said. She went over to the table, which had most of their snacks. "Hey, anyone see the tortilla chips?" At that, the girls instantly resumed their sleepover party, snacking and talking until well after the movie was over.

* * *

><p>Back at the loft, the guys were having a more drama-free night. Andre, Freddie and Spencer sat on the couch, each with a quart of chocolate beverage in front of them. "Okay," Spencer began. "When I say go, we chug. Last one drinking wins."<p>

"How did this happen?" Freddie asked, nervously staring at the new, unopened cartons.

"My bad," Andre reminded him. "I saw the gallon in the fridge and asked for a glass."

Spencer shook his head. "Oh, quit whining, ya wusses. I already went to the store and spent money on these. We're doing this." In response, Andre and Freddie leaned forward and picked up their quarts, as did Spencer. "Okay. Ready, set...go!"

Five minutes later, Freddie and Spencer were passed out on the couch with chocolate on their faces, while Andre still worked through his container, which was more than half-empty. "Andre, you can stop now, you win," Freddie pointed out.

Andre held up his free index finger as he finished the last drop of milk. "Ah," he said as he finally set the carton back on the table. "Love me some chocolatey beverage. Did I forget to tell you guys that it's my number-one comfort food? I drank a gallon of it when I thought I'd lost a record contract."

"Yes, yes you did," Spencer replied sarcastically, disappointed that he'd lost. He paused when he thought more about what Andre said. "Wait, you have a record contract? That's awesome!"

"Yeah, do you?" Freddie added. "I thought Tori said you were all amateur singers and actors."

Trying to be modest, Andre explained, "It's not official yet, and I might not get one at all. But I'm up against a few other Internet talents for a contract with a big music producer. Actually, Freddie, I wanted to ask you for tips on my next video. I need something different. _But_ I won't be able to finsih a new song for the show tomorrow so I'll have to somehow remix one they've heard already."

"Have you done a music video?" Freddie asked.

"Yeah, these guys are great at that," Spencer said. "You can film it in the iCarly studio and use insane special effects and hot back-up singers!"

Andre raised an eyebrow. "Um, thanks, but that's not really the image I'm going for. A music video would be cool though...I think..."

"Don't worry, if you've got an idea for one we can work with that," Freddie told him.

Considering that, Andre replied, "Well for Song 2 You...that's the song I played for you guys on my PearPod before...we could make it like a love story, where a guy sings it to a girl he really likes, but she doesn't really notice him at first."

"Nice. We can work start working on it tomorrow and get it done by the time you go back to L.A.," Freddie assured him. "Maybe one of the girls can act in it, and we can pick a location. Maybe a park, but then we'd have to worry about lighting..."

"Okay, if you guys are going to turn all geek on me, I'm watching _Celebrities Underwater_." Spencer turned on the television. "Huh, they've got 'Chandler' from _Friends_ on the show this week. I guess that means 'Mr. Sunshine' probably won't be getting another season."

Freddie and Andre pointedly ignored him as they continued to plan the music video.


End file.
